About Us

The Monastic Academy for the Preservation of Life on Earth (MAPLE) offers modern monastic training to develop a collective that can resolve the crises of the digital age.

We use traditional structures from Buddhist monasteries as well as engagement with global crises to develop mental clarity and ethical behavior. Based on the clarity and ethics developed from this spiritual practice, we strive to collaboratively discover a way to scale wisdom and compassion through emerging technologies for the benefit of all beings.

We are a full-time residential community with monastics, staff, and villagers, some of whom have committed their lives to MAPLE’s mission. This is different from your typical retreat or Dharma center.

People can visit us as a guest, participate in one of our rigorous silent awakening periods, or join our elite 1-3 month training program — a pre-requisite for longer-term residency in our community. All programs are by application only.

Scroll down to get a sense of a typical day at MAPLE, or click here for a deeper analysis of our worldview and theory of change.

Visit
MAPLE pond in summer
Are you curious about MAPLE? Come spend some time with us at our serene campus in the Green Mountains of Vermont. Be supported by our contemplative container and immerse yourself in a community dedicated to serving all life. You can visit for a day, a week, or a few months.
Visit
Train
MAPLE residents at dharma talk
Train your body and mind in a strict monastic schedule that includes physical labor, intense meditation, and intellectual study. This elite training program is for those sincerely seeking to cultivate mental clarity and ethical behavior to bring wisdom and compassion to a world in crisis.
Train
meals meals circling

What does a modern monastery look like?

The Monastic Academy is a residential contemplative training center striving to address the existential risks to life on Earth. Each day is a mixture of intensive meditation practice, physical labor, intellectual study, non-profit work, and community involvement. We start early, end late, and train six days-a-week, year-round.

In any given week, we are observing either a work period (a “Responsibility Week”) or a retreat (an “Awakening Week”).

Responsibility Weeks

During Responsibility Weeks we meditate for several hours a day and strive to maintain clarity while running the non-profit, engaging with community members, and deepening our collective intelligence.

We begin with chanting and meditation at 4:35am each morning, followed by a silent meal ceremony. From there, we move into service work.

During this work period the responsibilities are divided amongst various teams. The majority of community members do physical labor to maintain the buildings and grounds, while some work on more complex tasks like designing online courses, distributing media, and running the administration. All of this is in service of developing a wise and compassionate collective that can discover a way to scale the Dharma in the digital age.

After this period of service, we come together for another meal ceremony to silently eat or discuss current events. We do chores together after lunch, and then have a few hours of free time to practice on our own, spend time together, or stay abreast of the world.

At 3:30pm, we enter into an hour of vigorous exercise to bring the practice into movement, ground ourselves in the body, and cultivate an energy that can carry us for the rest of the day. This is followed by shower and study hour where we engage in independent study of Buddhist doctrine and analyze the mind running the modern world.

Subsequently, we have a 1.5 hour block which rotates between various activities. Generally this is a time to discuss and build upon the materials from the study period. The Buddhism for AI series is a good example of the style of teachings given during this block.

We then enter into meditation at 7:00pm each evening, followed by chanting, which ends around 9pm. During most morning and evening meditation blocks, community members will have the chance to meet with the teacher to receive guidance on their spiritual practice.

Daily Schedule

Responsibility Weeks

4:35 amChant
5:30 amSit
6:30 amBreakfast
7:30 amWork
12:00 pmLunch
12:45 pmChores
1:30 pmSelf Practice
3:30 pmExercise
4:30 pmStudy
5:30 pmEvening Activity
7:00 pmSit
8:30 pmChant

“good friends are the whole of the spiritual life”

– The Buddha

Awakening Weeks

During Awakening Weeks we single-pointedly strive to advance our spiritual practice and breakthrough to enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

The Awakening Week container is strict and uncompromising. By upholding a standard of excellence and not catering to individual preferences, the container creates optimal conditions for developing the mental clarity and ethical behavior needed to become a trustworthy guide for our world in crisis.

For more information about awakening weeks, please visit this page.

Upcoming Events

February Awakening Week with Soryu
Friday, February 07, 2025

March Awakening Week with Soryu
Friday, March 07, 2025

April Awakening Week with Soryu
Friday, April 04, 2025

May Two-Week Awakening Period with Soryu
Friday, May 02, 2025